Packers Free Agent Needs: Wide Receiver and Tight End

by Brandon on Feb 23, 2010 7:00 AM CST in Green Bay Packers Free Agency

Two general items up front: 1. Restricted free agents aren't real free agents. Anyone worth keeping will receive a high tender (1st and 3rd round, 1st round, or 2nd round picks as compensation) and it won't cause any salary cap problems in an uncapped year. "Teams have the leverage." Other NFL teams aren't going to offer a big contract and surrender a high draft pick. 2. The best thing the Green Bay Packers could do in free agency is resign all their current free agents.

This is an easy area to discuss because there are no free agents at either position. Walter Football listed TE Spencer Havner as a restricted free agent, but that's not what I read, and I'd expect he's an exclusive rights free agent. He's certain to receive a contract offer, and he'll have no other choice but to accept it.

If the Packers were to sign a free agent at either position, I'd suggest the same player I mentioned in regards to the special teams: Chargers Pro Bowl (as a special teams player) WR Kassim Osgood. He could be used as the No. 5 WR, and he may even challenge WR James Jones (ranked way down at No. 58 in 2009 by Football Outsiders) for the No. 4 job.

Tweet Comment 9 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

I don't see anything happening here...

in free agency. I wouldn’t complain if we got Osgood…but I really don’t see us getting anyone by FA in this area. Maybe in the draft, but not FA.

by TrevorR on Feb 23, 2010 8:55 AM CST reply actions

I don't see any roster changes at these positions this offseason

Brett Swain is coming back and the reason he beat out Ruvell Martin last year was because of his Special Teams performances. I agree we do need to get a true Go to Guy WR in the near future to replace DD, but I think we should wait until next year’s draft, which consists of I believe 5 or 6 WR’s that stand 6’5. This means we can get our own Sidney Rice. Having someone like that at WR along with TE Jermichael Finley will give our offense better odds in scoring TD’s in the Red Zone.

"No player is greater than a team."
-Vince Lombardi

by Jabooty on Feb 23, 2010 11:38 AM CST reply actions

Nice point…it would be nice to get ourselves a really tall WR. They are great mismatches for most corners.

by TrevorR on Feb 23, 2010 2:31 PM CST up reply actions

Jones vs. Nelson

I haven’t taken a look at the official depth chart, but Its seems more like Jones is the number three receiver and Nelson is No.4. Jones seems to get more targets, especially deep, and produces more.

by justinlewis on Feb 23, 2010 1:22 PM CST reply actions

Jones got more targets

Nelson missed a couple games with injuries, but he was behind Jones all season for some reason. Jones looked lost out on the field sometimes, and some of his big plays happened because he was left uncovered. I’ve been a big fan of Jones, but 2009 was a real disappointment.

You might say Nelson did more in garbage time, being the No. 4 WR does that to some degree. But I don’t know how he could sit behind Jones all season. It’s certainly something I’ll be watching in the future.

by Brandon on Feb 24, 2010 1:59 AM CST up reply actions

I’ve been disappointed in Jones. He hasn’t seemed to make that leap to the next level yet. He looked really sharp in his rookie year but seems like he’s the exact same player now.

by TrevorR on Feb 24, 2010 8:11 AM CST up reply actions

He almost looks worse from his rookie season. Hopefully it was just that injury from 2008 slowing him down but I kinda doubt it. Hopefully he can step it back up because he has the tools to be a good WR in the league.

by packallday555 on Feb 24, 2010 10:23 AM CST up reply actions

Next Level

I can’t really say I’ve been disappointed in either Jones or Nelson, but to this point neither of them has stepped up like I hoped. But stepping up is also about OPPORTUNITY… Until they are given the opportunity to unseat Driver, they won’t… They will likely be behind Driver as long as he is in GB. I think this offseason that McCarthy and Thompson will/should sit both of them down and tell them point blank that the opportunity to unseat Driver is NOW. It is in the Packers best interests to find out if one of them has what it takes. If they do have what it takes they will do so this year. If not then next season the Packers will have to be looking for another WR to compliment Jennings.

Like I said, I think stepping up is largely a matter of being given the opportunity, and neither has really had that being behind Jennings and Driver!

by Strohman on Feb 24, 2010 3:30 PM CST up reply actions

Yeah I suppose that is true to some degree but they both spend a LOT of time on the field and I just don’t see them getting open and creating that real separation. I would be okay with MM telling them they can try to unseat DD. I just don’t know if they will.

by TrevorR on Feb 24, 2010 9:38 PM CST up reply actions